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Victims' Deaths Net New Charges

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By DAVID SOMMER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - A local woman now faces drunken-driving manslaughter charges as the result of a crash in December that killed two people in the other vehicle, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

Judy Z. Smith, 54, of 7715 Artifact Drive in Zephyrhills, turned herself in to Cpl. Mike Styers at the FHP station in Land O' Lakes on Friday morning after being informed of the charges, Trooper Larry Coggins said.

A toxicology report recently determined Smith's blood-alcohol level was 0.245 percent, more than three times the level at which the state presumes intoxication (0.08), following the wreck at State Road 54 and Lanier Road, Coggins said.

Smith was driving her 1999 Ford Explorer west on S.R. 54 at 6:22 p.m. Dec. 6 when she failed to brake behind a 2005 Chrysler minivan that was stopped in traffic, Coggins reported.

The other driver, George Schoenadel, 76, of Rawlings, Md., was not injured, but four passengers in the minivan were, Coggins said.

Joann Schoenadel, 64, and Albert Cocking, 79, were airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in critical condition. Mary Cocking, 78, and Sofia Anderson, 81, were taken to University Community Hospital's Fletcher Avenue campus with non-life-threatening injuries, the trooper said.

Smith was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital but "her injuries were not as severe as the others," most likely because of the larger size of the Explorer, Coggins said.

On Dec. 8, Joann Schoenadel died from her injuries. A week later, Albert Cocking also died, the FHP reported.

Smith remained at the Land O' Lakes Jail on Friday evening with bail set at $30,250 on two counts of DUI manslaughter, one count of felony drunk driving, one count of DUI with serious bodily injury and one count of DUI with property damage, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office Web site.

Reporter David Sommer can be reached at (727) 815-1087 or dsommer@tampatrib.com.

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